Fall
by Dracostella
Summary: The first time Legolas helped Gimli to get on a horse, the dwarf warned him...


Rating: PG (Pre-Slash/Slash. depends on how you define these words).  
  
Notes: The Two Towers Movie-verse. Prequel to 'Tumbled'. The plot Nazi in me gave in. Timeline: On the road to Helm's Deep.  
  
Elvish: 1. goheno nín= I'm sorry. 2. man nâ han? = What is it? (courtesy of D.K.)  
  
Fall by Dracostella  
  
The first time Legolas helped Gimli to get on a horse, the dwarf warned him, "If I fall, I'm taking you with me, elf." Legolas had laughed and told the dwarf that no elf had fallen off a horse in all of the ages of this world.  
  
Gimli grunted and said, "No elf's ever had a dwarf wrapped around them either." Legolas smiled and made no reply while Gimli's large warm hands folded tightly around Legolas's waist.  
  
The hold did not loosen with the length of their journey. When they rode to Helm's Deep with Theoden and Rohan's people, Legolas's sides were so bruised it was as if the heat of the dwarf's hand had branded him. Elves did not relish in pain, but Legolas did not ask nor desire for Gimli to let go.  
  
Twice, Aragorn had rode beside them and asked Legolas if he wanted Gimli to ride with Aragorn for a while. The first time, Gimli replied for Legolas and told Aragorn that if the dwarf were going to take anyone down, he'd take down the elf. But when Aragorn asked again, Gimli was silent. The three of them stared oddly at each other, and Legolas finally said, "It would be easier on the horse if Gimli continue riding with me. I do not mind."  
  
After that, Aragorn did not ask again, but he regarded the dwarf and elf for a long moment. It made Legolas feel ridiculously young. He had known Aragorn when the man was but a bulge in Gilraen's dress, and he was unaccustomed to Aragorn's regarding him in such a manner.  
  
"You are blushing," Gimli said. His tone sounded entirely too smug to Legolas's ears.  
  
"I am not accustomed to having a fully armored dwarf around me," Legolas said, but he felt more blood go to his face. This was entirely foolish. He had not blushed for two millennia.  
  
"Not many know that feeling, I grant you that," Gimli laughed. "We dwarves do not ever mate outside our kind. Unlike you elves, we have no desire to dabble with men."  
  
"Do elves still mate with men?" Eowyn asked. Legolas had been so distracted he had not noticed that she had ridden next to them.  
  
"Men and elves will love as they will," Gimli said. Legolas felt the dwarf turn his head, and he wondered if Gimli was looking at Aragorn, but the dwarf could not know of the love between Aragorn and Arwen.  
  
"And what of dwarves?" Eowyn asked.  
  
"Dwarves desire but one mate their entire lives," Gimli said, "and if they cannot have the one they want, they will take no other."  
  
"If only men were as devoted," Eowyn looked away.  
  
"Nay, my lady," Gimli said, his voice gentle. "It is a difficult life for those who cannot have the one they want. But it is the flaw of all races to want what they cannot have. Nay, it is better to be a man who will learn to accept another love, then a dwarf who has no such recourse."  
  
Arod neighed suddenly, and Legolas realized he had been clenching the reigns too tightly. "Goheno nín," Legolas whispered to Arod as he leaned into the horse, and scratched it behind its ears. As he moved, he felt Gimli moving with him, still holding on to the elf's waist. "You do not need to cling so tightly, Master Dwarf. Horses of Rohan do not allow their riders to fall," Eowyn said.  
  
"Horses of Rohan have not known dwarves," Gimli said, but his hands loosened from Legolas, and slid down to the elf's thighs. "I don't expect them to respect creatures with more hair than themselves."  
  
"Man nâ han?, Legolas?" Aragorn asked, and Legolas turned to him so quickly that he nearly knocked Gimli off the horse with his back. In a haste to stay on the horse, the dwarf clang back against Legolas, and the elf fought the urge not to gasp.  
  
"These hills," Legolas said. The moment the words left his mouth, he realized with alarm that it was true. The hills whispered menace.  
  
"The scouts do not see anything," Aragorn said, looking in the direction of Hama and Gamling. "What does your elf eyes see?"  
  
"I will go closer," Legolas said, and started to dismount.  
  
"Do not leave me on this damn thing, elf!" Gimli hung on to him.  
  
"I will hold the reins for you, Master Gimli," Eowyn offered as she leaped off her horse.  
  
Gimli said nothing, but he freed Legolas from his hands.  
  
With more speed than needed, the elf jumped off and headed towards the scouts. If Gamling and Hama were surprised to see him, they made no sign of it. Legolas nodded at them as he walked past their horses and headed up the hill. On foot, it was easier to scale the side of the mount, but even as he climbed, the burning heat of Gimli's hands lingered. He started to walk faster, but even when he broke into a full sprint, he still could not outrun the smolder. He was almost out of breath, when he finally stopped running. In a distance, he heard the low mummers of growls.  
  
At the edge of his vision he saw a blur fast approaching Gamling and Hama. A warg!  
  
Before he could get to them, the warg was already on top of Hama. Knives drawn, Legolas flung himself toward the warg, and slits the throat of the beast. "A scout!" Legolas called out and raced on to the top of the hill. A swarm of warg and Orc riders were riding towards the people of Rohan. As fast as he could, he fired his arrows towards them, but there were too many. Behind him, the hooves of horses came closer. Without looking, he knew where his ride was. He already knew Arod's trot, and he could also hear Gimli's curses as the dwarf bounced atop the horse. When Arod came close enough, Legolas grabbed on to the horse's reigns and hurled himself on the horse. Gimli's arms tightened around him.  
  
As they rode out together, almost immediately he realized that Arod could not turn quickly enough for battle carrying both the elf and the dwarf. Before he could think of a way to balance them, Gimli let go. The dwarf simply released his hold on Legolas, and let himself fall. Legolas did not have time to curse before he saw a warg running towards Gimli baring its teeth.  
  
"Bring your pretty face to my axe!" Gimli yelled, but Legolas had already shot it. "That one counts as mine!" Gimli said as the dead warg landed on Gimli. Aiming his arrows towards two wargs heading straight for Theoden, Legolas silently cursed himself. Gimli did not need his protection. Forcing his attention away from the dwarf, Legolas let his arrows fly.  
  
To his surprise, the battle ended quickly. The Rohirrim men fought well on horses. Looking to the battlefield Legolas could not see either of his companions. Then his glances settled on where Gimli had been, and he saw the dwarf climbing out from underneath a pile of warg carcasses.  
  
As soon as Gimli was cleared of the wargs, he started to help the Rohirrim men sweep the battlefield. "Where is Aragorn?" Gimli asked after a moment. "Aragorn?" Legolas called out. Their eyes met across the field, and suddenly their search became frantic. As if responding to their call, a dying Orc started to laugh.  
  
Picking up the Orc by his clothing, Legolas asked, "Where is he?"  
  
"Speak up and I will make your passing easier!" Gimli said, raising his axe.  
  
The Orc laughed, "Your friend took a little tumble off the cliff."  
  
The air became unbearably still, and all sound disappeared for a moment, until his own voice broke the silence, "You lie!"  
  
As a last act of defiance, the Orc died smiling, mocking the elf. The Orc's half clenched hands held Arwen's Evenstar.  
  
Snatching it from the Orc's hand, Legolas ran to the edge of the cliff, the air around him growing cold as he saw the steep drop. The river below was hurried, with no lingering signs of the fallen.  
  
He felt Gimli coming toward him and standing by him, but he did not want to see the look on the dwarf's face.  
  
"Get the wounded on horses," Theoden commanded his men. "The wolves of Isengard will return." More softly he said, "Leave the dead."  
  
Legolas turned sharply to him, the air growing colder each moment.  
  
Theoden placed his hand on Legolas's shoulder, and said, "Come." With that, Theoden turned back to his men and left. But Legolas could not move. Idly, he stared back at the river. How long ago was it when Aragorn was but a bulge in his mother's dress? So few years had passed. so few.  
  
His knees dropped to the ground, but firm arms came around him and steadied him from trembling. Leaning against Gimli's warmth, Legolas wept.  
  
Faintly, he heard Gimli's voice. "Don't you dare fall, elf."  
  
With the dwarf wrapped around him, Legolas fell. 


End file.
